A reminder about cyclist-motorist safety as Ironman nears
With the arrival of Ironman athletes into Kona a few weeks away, this may be a good time to review recommendations for achieving safe and low stress bicycle-motor vehicle interactions.
Many motorists expect that bikes will and should be only on the shoulder, or sidewalk, and never in “their” roadway. While state law, HRS291c-145, requires cyclists, when slower than traffic, operate “as far to the right as is practicable” there are exceptions where the cyclist may, and even should, move into traffic. These include when passing, preparing for a left turn, avoiding debris or hazards, or when the roadway is too narrow for a bicycle and vehicle to share.
Given that most of Alii Drive has lanes that are barely 10 feet wide, motorists shouldn’t be surprised to find cyclists midroad, especially where pedestrians, parked cars or debris make shoulder use unsafe or impossible. Of course, the cyclist needs to signal his intent to “take the lane” in these circumstances. To this end, it is imperative for cyclists to use a rear-view mirror to monitor vehicles approaching from behind.
Ironically, cyclists are often most fearful of being hit from behind while a majority of motor vehicle-bicycle collisions are cross-directional in nature. Other than sideswipe collisions caused by a car not allowing enough side clearance when passing — 3 feet is a recognized minimum, a bicyclist being struck from behind is rare. The incidents involving the Makala Boulevard to Henry Street bike lane on Queen Kaahumanu Highway are tragic exceptions.
That being said, we bicycle drivers, to demonstrate we are members of a roadway-using community, need to engage in certain actions. Do: Communicate with motorists (signal intentions, make eye contact), ride single-file, give a friendly “mahalo” wave to cars when they’ve waited patiently, and wave the motorist to your right through as you approach a three- or four-way stop. Don’t: Run stoplights or signs, operate on sidewalks or against traffic, weave in an unpredictable fashion, or produce single-finger “salutes.”
Anything we can do to get one more person behind the wheel to think “these cyclists aren’t so bad/crazy/irresponsible after all” makes things that much safer for all of us.
Please be an ambassador for your subset of roadway users. As a person who drives a car more often than a bicycle, I’d suggest that last statement could apply to drivers of scooters, motorcycles, huge pickup trucks and, well, just about everybody.
Eugene Schmitz
Kailua-Kona